Cadillac ATS Review - One Take
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- čas přidán 8. 05. 2013
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The new Cadillac ATS has been lavished with praise by the motoring press. And that's because, when you're a journalist, the ATS offers pretty much everything you're looking for from a sport sedan. But what about from the customer's perspective? Does the ATS offer what I'm looking for if I'm a buyer of a luxury sedan? We explore that question, in one take.
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I just bought my ATS a few days ago and I honestly can't understand why everyone is bitching about the cue system. Maybe it's just older folks (I am 24), but I got use to the CUE system after a day of ownership. Really like how it works and I hope they build upon the platform. Love the ATS, I tested an A4 and a couple three series BMW's. They just weren't doing it for me in the looks department (and I've heard about some QC issues). The ATS checks all the boxes, AWD for the winter, peppy 2.0T engine, awesome Bose sound system, quick in a straight line and around corners, and it is extremely pretty in my opinion. Absolutely in love with this car and love learning new things about it every day.
Agreed,i got used to cue system in one day and find it great to use-I have the 8 speed and love the powerful brakes and handling -haven’t even tried sport mode yet and love the boss system too.It takes off quick and gives you confidence.Great car
Me too :)
Sorry the CUE system SUCK ASS! You're on crack. The interior is bad, but the driving dynamics are excellent and the chassis is a total star, which is the hardest thing to get right in a car.
It’s good car.
Exactly. I can't see what everyone was bitching about. These people like Matt sellout
I'm so tired of people riding the German cars you know what. I had a BMW 5 series good performance car but shitty reliability after 50k miles I needed a A/C compressor, like really? My Audi A6, I can't lie was an all around good car I have to give props. My Lexus GS drives smooth and my Cadillac ATS 2.0T is by far better than all of them hands down. I will never buy BMW again.
The V6 is as unreliable as the germans :(
I have friends from European countries that hate bmw and when they came to the United States they told me: “why the fuck would someone buy a bmw here when you can drive muscle car or pickup truck” I was so proud lol then they saw a Cadillac and they said “I have only seen a Cadillac once in my life” made me proud
The interior really isn't worse than it's competitors, It's way better. It has real aluminum or carbon fiber interior accents, awesome leather dash, high res center info screen, great nav, and a heads up display! The black and high gloss screen are hard to keep clean but I just wipe mine down occasionally.
What do the competitors offer? Orange dot matrix displays - what year is it? Clunky cheesey sliding gauge - that performance mode does nothing unlike the MRC in the ATS. Small low resolution dim navigation screen or one that looks like it's stuck to the dash with a $19.99 mount.
It's not boring to drive around the city, it's comfortable on the commute. Yet at the same time has the driving dynamics you describe. To me that's a phenomenal quality.
It truly saddens me that these cars were unsuccessful and now many will not get to experience them.
Best car in the class to purchase used.
I got a used 2015 ats premium with performance pkg and 3.6 with 33,000 miles Cadillac certified in April of 2019 for $22,000. The sticker was $52,000 new. I absolutely love this car! All Blacked out with oem 19s she is a stunner. Definitely a driver's car with the magna ride and alpha chassis it's impressive!!!! Love it
Yep! I bought one recently. 2014 2.0t performance trim.
I'm a german car snob? Then how come I currently own two american cars: a Corvette and a Ford Raptor. Every company makes good cars, and every company makes bad cars. It's my job to give every new model I test a fighting chance. I mentioned many positive qualities about the ATS (chassis, handling, brakes, power), and many negative qualities as well (cheap looking gauges, cheesy wood, poor engine note). That's what I call a balanced review. You just didn't hear what you wanted to hear.
The sound of the V6 is not bad at all to me. But hey, to each his own.
It's 2:13am as I was browsing through CZcams before drifting back to
sleep... Then I came upon an ATS video I hadn't seen before. My jaw
dropped at the absurdity of this video. Before purchasing my ATS 3.6
Premium AWD 3 weeks ago, I test drove a 2014 Audi A6 Premium AWD V6(I
forget if it was supercharged or turbocharged) and a 2014 BMW 528i
X(AWD). BMW's have always been the cars I loved and respected. But with being a what's better is better type of guy I couldn't deny the Audi due to it's perceived quality, interior design and being the faster of the two. So I was sold!... on the Audi until I seen the ATS and it made me recall the video series Cadillac did about ALL the engineering talent that went into making the ATS great... So I told the sales person at CARMAX that I'd like to drive the ATS before doing the paperwork on the A6. I started by looking and feeling around the cabin of the ATS... I was astonished! It was as well padded with soft touch points as the BMW and though different it was as aesthetically pleasing in my eyes as the Audi. We set out on the same course as before with the other cars. Main road full throttle WOW(It's hard to put into words what many Great videos of this car's acceleration is like!!!) I couldn't believe this was a V6!!! Over the same bumps I couldn't believe that the same sharp bumps that made the Audi have a "harsh" time felt like rolling over sticks of warm butter in the ATS! but the BMW was still smoother. And the handling was Go-Cart like! Between the vette-like pin you in you seat acceleration, Laser precision steering/handling, smooth ride and Beautiful cabin. I was SOLD on the ATS! Driving it home made me SO proud to be an American because we no longer can only build the most advanced stealth fighter jets we now can build some of the best cars and SUVs as well!
real talk bmw's exterior styling for 2013 sucks... id take the ats any day... Id like to see him try the 2014 Cts
what would be your choice ? manual 2.0 liter turbo or automatic v6?
Can someone tell me if this is a 2014 or 2013
a squirrel was harmed in the making of this video
I bought a 2015 ATS premium performance rwd with the 3.6 two years old with 30,000 miles for $ 23,000! The original sticker was $54,000!!! It's been a few years and I still get that wow factor! The magna ride is awesome
Please explain, using a time stamp, exactly where I compared the ATS to a $100k benz. You can't, because I compared it to three european sedans and one japanese sedan that are all direct competitors with directly comparable pricing. Please explain how I am not objective, using specifics. I'd really like to hear that explanation.
GM spent money on features and driving dynamics and CUE, they cheaped out a bit on the interior for sure.
cue is actually improving rapidly, since cadillac is panicking and pushing out software updates like nuts
plus this car just looks delightfully different, it's very classic batmobile-like
I agree, as long as you check off that "sport differential" box
the exhaust note is actually good. Problem is that you don't hear it from inside the cabin. All you hear when driving is mechanical grinding noises from the engine.
I don't sit with the seat all the way back. I'm 6'3" but only have a 32 inch inseam. I'm tall from the waist up. And because of my bad spine, I have to sit pretty upright, which means closer to the wheel, so I never really find myself reaching.
After a couple months of research for a nice used car that had some decent performance, I narrowed it down to the ATS Premium w/3.6L (same as the shown here)
Not easy to find locally, as most have the 2.0 turbo, but my wait paid off when one in very good condition popped up under $15K and I jumped on it.
I love it! Power and handling is fun as pointed out in this video. As far as the interior, I like that to.. (I've had worse) Heated seats have endless adjustments along with memory recall. heated steering wheel with paddle shifters, sunroof, sport/tour/ice&snow drive modes.. CUE buttons.. like a woman, are responsive once you learn where they liked to touched. And I keep a microfiber cloth in the secret compartment behind the climate controls to wipe off the screen. All-in-all, Great value if you buy used.
it sounds like a nice rental car right after saying the v6 sounds like a spoon in a garbage disposal..... this guys review was automatically invalid for me right there lmao
it depends entirely on which trim the cars are in. A loaded up ATS has a nicer interior than a basic 3-series, and vice versa. We'll still go with the BMW if they are optioned up equally.
yes, they do sell the glasses in australia.
Love the intro song. Does anyone know the title of it?
basically everything i said in this review applies to that model, it's just noticeably slower and the manual gearbox isn't great.
If there is a "V" version available, what are some of the things you feel it should have?
A car that is every bit as good as a 3 Series but without the douchebag drivers
Does it rattle, are there gaps between everything? I still like my CTS4.
Matt I have to say I disagree with you on the interior quality of the ATS. I have test driven the ATS a few times with different interiors and engines. The quality is there. Cadillac used high quality leather, high quality plastics and real polished metals. The V6 exhaust note put a smile on my face. Everything is beautifully done inside and out. Cadillac feels like a "rental"? I own a 2008 550i. The soft touch film is literally peeling off the door handles. The car does random no starts with no code and I paid 600 dollars for a battery install and program. I'm trading it for an ATS 3.6. People will buy it. You're too biased to do a good fair review.
Just so you know, there are a lot of Cadillac rental, rental doesn't necessarily mean bad.
Matt, would you take this over an IS350 F sport?
Is there a online shop for t-shirts, i would be interested in getting a few drive shirts.
I don't read other reviews, they would cloud my judgement. And if I said the same thing as other reviewers, my review would be pointless anyway. And I stand by every statement I made about the car: lots of grip, great chassis, most fun to drive hard in its class, and I'd never, ever buy one, because I wouldn't want to spend 2 hours a day in that car, staring at that gauge cluster just reminding me GM just HAD to save the ten bucks it would have taken to make that better.
This is true. But. I bought one anyway. I’ve got the new older one to cruise around in my couch and the new one to smoke the euro pussies.
On 18s staggered wrapped with nittos, the grip is lit. Who’s looking at the gauges or using cue anyway? I’m doin it for dale not looking at that trash
You're pretty harsh on cadillac matt. Don't know why because you're obviously a GM guy.
+nezerac because its a big fat american car that tries to act european even though it has worse everything..
milkshake1993
Shows how much you pay attention to what's really going on. ATS/CTS have better steering, suspension, power than all their german rivals. Total fanboy.
milkshake1993 weighs less than a bmw 328 by a hair.
Cue is not bad at all.
Got an ATS recently myself. Cue system isn't that bad neither are the touch controls on the dash. It does get fingerprints but that is why you bring a little microfiber cloth with you. Interior quality is fantastic. The Heads Up Display (Premium trim only) is fantastic. Instrument cluster should be full LCD screen but for what it is, it is not bad at all. The auto transmission shifts smoothly and the manual paddle shifts are extremely fast to engage. Sound quality (Bose Surround) is ridiculously good. Seats are comfortable. Car handles great. V6 performs quick and only takes 87 octane gas. This car is a huge bargain for under $30,000 used with low miles. It is more a practical gen 6 Camaro...
You sum up perfectly why I don't buy American cars...the tactile experience behind the wheel...how those buttons "click" when pressed, the gauges, the feel of the sun visor, etc. And unfortunately, though better in recent years, the domestically-produced Yank cars just aren't there yet.
J Koch LOL I just test drove a brand new 328i, and the sun visors were made of cheaper plastic than a fisher price toy. The gauges are still piss orange, disgusting. And forget buttons, every single plastic panel "clicked" when pressed. I could even see the glue keeping the fake "brushed aluminum" (painted plastic) attached to the center console. BMW needs to step up its game
Not sure, how fast was I going?
pretty sure, yeah
Where is the link I'm trying to buy some sunglasses especially the ones that you are saying but I also want a free shirt to but where the hell is the dam website at?!
the main purpose of a sport sedan is to be a daily driver. If it was just supposed to be good at driving and nothing else, it would be a Lotus. It needs to work even better in my daily commute than it does in the canyons. The BMW and Audi are both much better than the ATS under normal use. The ATS is better when pushed in the canyons. Thats my opinion, feel free to disagree, but that doesn't mean it's misleading. It's a review, reviews are subjective anyway.
horsepower sells cars on paper, torque sells them from the drivers seat.
Matt, being a taller gent like myself, do you feel that sitting all the way back in the seat means that in most cars you are overreaching for the wheel for spirited driving? With my wheel scoped all the way out and sitting comfortably, I am still much too far away for "performance driving". Just a random Q.
how are you going to do a "simple aftermarket radio install?" CUE controls the navigation, climate control, all the car's settings, the phone, etc, in addition to the radio. It's built into the whole car. You can't just rip that out and slap in something from Crutchfield and have the car still work. You'd have to find somewhere else to integrate all those other controls, and you'd probably end up with something that's worse than CUE.
I really hated the 3-2 downshift in the manual tester I had a couple months back. It would always slip into that reverse notch when driving aggressively. I hate to say it, but the auto trans is the better option for this car.
I love how people say I'm anti-GM when I currently, like right this second, have two GM cars in my garage: a Corvette and a Volt. Not press cars, I own them. I also have a Ford Raptor. So stick your anti-american car bias bullshit up your ass, because right now, I own three American cars and one British car that was built under an American parent company.
I'm 31, and I'm going grey from dealing with too many fanboys who can't see that all companies make good cars and bad cars.
Hey Matt, just wondering, are you on a closed road or would the police go after you if they saw the speeds in this video?
So which mountain roads/canyons do you like to drive on and possibly shoot? I drive up and down the 14 freeway every day, and let me say that I find it to mostly be a horrible experiencewhen most people are awake, and a bring experience when they're asleep. So what I do, is I bypass it from time to time by going through Soledad cyn, Bouquet cyn, Sierra hwy, or [if I'm desperate]San Francisquito cyn. And though I can probably guess where you shot the Lotus, can't guess where the others were shot.
I have no idea why Ford doesn't sell US models of cars in Australia. I'm sure that, since they build them RHD for the UK, it would be possible.
Great review and I agree with your message to GM! Have you driven he 2.0T? If so, any thoughts on that model?
Matt I love you but funny thing is you bought a fiesta st those cars interior disintegrates as you touch them before 10k miles lol
Comparing a brand new Cadillac to a 25 year old Cavalier is a silly comparison, and you know it. The interior of the ATS isn't cheap as a whole, but has some cheap looking materials where other companies just don't.
And people have been buying them up because GM has been offering $3,500 cash back on an ATS for the last few months, after selling them at full boat went nowhere. See any cash back on any German sport sedans recently? Neither have I.
I don't look at cars from a power point of view. I look at them from a pricing point of view, and while the 328i M-Sport we tested was $46,000 ($2,000 less than the ATS seen here), the 335i I drove was $58,000, $10,000 more than the ATS. I think the ATS 3.6 competes more closely with the 328.
I'm 6'1 and can easily sit behind myself in this car. How many mattresses do you sleep on?
The BMW 335i has the best tuning options. I haven't heard a thing about packages for Lexus or Caddy/ The Audi 2.0T engines have decent options from APR too, but not as good as BMW's.
The 2014 model year lexus's have really nice, all new interiors. Though they have been boring in the past, they have come a long way. The main reason to buy a Lexus though is peace of mind. Those cars are bulletproof, and if you're going to keep it for a long time, it's a better long term buy than something German.
We drive modified cars on our show TUNED on the DRIVE network. The Smoking Tire is for stock vehicles most of the time, but occasionally branches out into the oddball modified car. And I really don't understand how driving a stock vehicle makes us sellouts? I REALLY don't understand how I'm "getting paid to get you to buy shit cars," specifically when I said in this video that I wouldn't buy the ATS.
So Matt, how tall are you?
I can give a balanced review of BMW's too based on the ones I've driven and ones I've owned: I love driving them. Good engine notes, great materials (if you option them up), love the MMI system and the performance you get with an M model. But you have to option them up, because in base trim, the interior sucks. Also, I LOATHE their service department experience. My dad has a 7 series right now and we will never buy another BMW because of poor service when it breaks (which is a lot).
6'2"
I called it "cheap looking," if you want to be accurate, and, like i said in the video, making a car lighter and with better weight distribution matters to a very small percentage of people who buy these cars. I love the ATS, but hated it until I pushed it hard in the canyons. If I was going on a dealership test drive, I would NEVER buy that car, because the things I see (gauges, trim) look cheap, and CUE is ludicrously frustrating. That's all I could learn from a short dealer test drive.
I’m always wot during test drives
Review the Buick gs
Went back in time and found the very first One Take. Nice buddy.
Reading your comment it sounds like you have some interesting knowledge on this car and feel strongly about it. I for one would love to hear your input. In what way do you feel it is a contender in its class vs similarly priced models? Did you drive it or do you have some experience you would find suitable for sharing? Best regards and thanks for contributing.
Matt, your reviews are so honest and legit keep it up man!
The automatic was surprisingly good. The manual was surprisingly bad.
A base Jaguar XJ in the US costs nearly $20,000 more than the MKS loaded. Not realy a fair comparison.
Hey Matt, wouldn't the 335i be a better contender than the 328i with the IS350 and the ATS? Talking from a power point of view...
I totally agree with you!
Cool. thanks for the response bro. you rock matt!
An honest evaluation of this car. I did appreciate it. Congratulations. If GM upgrades the materials of those gadgets, the car will be perfect. Everyone person that tests the ATS gets pretty impressed with its handling quality.
I mean, I wouldn't swerve to the point of rolling the car, but it was an empty road and I had room.
stunt road?
our test car did have a noticeable rattle. Not something you want from a brand new $50,000 car.
Matt, by far your are the most informational and interesting car journalist I have ever watched. Thank you for what you do, and please continue to make more.
Best review of this car yet
This is what I hope to be buying, although one with a 2.0T and manual trans. I wish CUE would be fixed I really don't understand why its still all screwed up. I want it to be more of a fun DD
I'm glad to here it! I do feel like CUE would be better once you get used to it, and my major in the technology field so I figured I would enjoy it anyways. I can't wait! :)
Riley Cook The interior is ok. It's only "niiiice" if you're used to entry level automobiles.
Riley Cook Well, in that case, congrats man.
Riley Cook 3.6? no manual? gayyyyyyy
Great review Matt, I am almost convinced on leasing an ATS 2.0 manual. You are correct, the infotainment/touch controls are terrible, though work better if you touch more definitively. The rest of the car makes up for that in my mind.
I was lucky enough to drive both it through some nice on/off ramps and get a sense for the chassis and the best way I can describe it, it's a 4 door BRZ, which is my 2nd choice. Would you recommend one over the other as a fun car and take an occasional trip?
I just bought an ATS 3.6 sedan and I love it.
OK thanks ill look around.
I dig your reviews Matt. Good stuff keep it up.
The V6 model is very good, but I prefer the 2.0T because when I drove it, it seemed to have the perfect amount of weight distribution and perfect handling compared to the ever so slightly nose heavier V6 model.
We tried a manual turbo on the track, and honestly, most of this review would be exactly the same if it was that car. The automatic is actually the better transmission too, the manual has some issues, especially with the 3-2 downshift. The turbo motor is ok, but felt slow on the track, and the car handled brilliantly, just like this one did.
A twin-turbo V6, manual transmission as an option, new steering wheel and seats, magnetic ride suspension, gigantic brakes, and a "CUE-less" option.
Matt. Since you do tuned I know you are the perfect person to ask this. Out of the 3 cars you have tested in this class (Lexus Cadillac BMW) Which of the 3 do you think has the best potential for more power? I know you didnt have the 2.0T in the Caddy which I think would be the better tuning option over the 3.6. I have a 135i right now tuned to about 400hp and I am looking for something newer to replace it and be around the same power. Thank you for always telling it like it is in your videos.
If you're going to get in trouble from a video, they need to have all the information they need to fill out a ticket, clearly, from the video. They need driver's name, what car it is, the location, day, time, and proof of speed. Without all those things, there is nothing anyone can do.
completely disagree. Our ATS tester had 300 miles on it when we picked it up, and I could detect two very clear rattles in the interior. Now, granted, if you're comparing a loaded up ATS to a basic 3-series, I could see it being better. But the $46,000 328i M-Sport we tested a couple months back has the ATS laid down knocked out in terms of interior. It shits all over this thing. If it were my money, I'd buy the BMW with the smaller engine just to get that interior for the same money.
The 3.6 is a mistake. I've you're not going to pony up for a V, get the 2.0T. It's punchy, and responds extremely well to simple mods. Tuning is where you can make quite a bit of power cheaply. The 3.6 is anemic with regard to torque, with the 2.0 producing 20 more lb/ft over the V6. I don't get the gripes with the CUE, aside from it cracking if you don't use a sunshade. The steering wheel buttons being "Too far apart" seems laughable unless you're a little person. Plus the voice recognition is spot on. I'll admit to being a bit biased, since I own a fairly modded 2014 Luxury, but I paid less than 20 grand for a pristine model with less than 20k miles. The amount of luxury + performance per dollar (after the first owner eats the initial depreciation) is astounding vs its Euro counterparts.
We used a G37S coupe as a camera car for this shoot. The ATS, dynamically, is far beyond the G37.
The Ciel is awesome, way too awesome. Thats why GM would never make it.
The Ford Fusion doesn't feel cheap at all; they have done a great job with that car. I'd argue that, styling aside, the Lincoln MKS and MKT also don't feel cheap either.
I agree, this is great American automotive journalism!
My thoughts exactly. It would be nice to see an Alcantara or Suede interior as well.
So...base model with 6 speed without the Cue is the best then....140 TW though...seems iffy and might be masking some handling issues...
I have the ATS 2.0T 6-spd manual... Extremely happy with it. I recommend the 2.0T if you want some fun!
great review
Never seen 3.6 ats rental car or other in this class
Great review matt
FANTASTIC car
Its my job to nit pick. I test cars. And CUE's terrible interface is not "small stuff." Everything from changing the temperature to lowering the volume to inputting a destination takes absolutely forever in that car, and for a consumer (especially one that isn't super-techy), it would be unbelievably frustrating. CUE is an absolute dealbreaker for me in that car, as well as others I've known who have looked at the ATS and then bought German.
Great review.
The ATS is selling very well because of the massive rebates, which BMW/Audi/Lexus aren't offering. The auto transmission was good, the manual was terrible.
True